Ajani Cornelius may still be listed as an offensive tackle on the Dallas Cowboys' official website, but he's getting a lot of reps at guard so far in training camp.
As Dallas works on forming its 2026 roster, Cornelius' potential versatility, or even a full move to guard, could be crucial to his being one of the 53 later this month.
A four-year starter at right tackle for Oregon, Cornelius was a sixth-round pick by the Cowboys in last year's draft. He never appeared in a game in 2025, but was protected with a roster spot throughout his rookie season. Entering his second year, Cornelius finds himself in a bind at OT with fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton joining the mix.
Cowboys OL Ajani Cornelius now working at guard in Oxnard
In his Tuesday press conference, Brian Schottenheimer commented on Cornelius getting snaps at guard during the first week of training camp. He cited the Cowboys' current efforts to develop Shelton and Nate Thomas, who are clearly ahead of Cornelius in the race for roster spots. While Thomas may not be competing for the starting job at left tackle anymore, he is still a frontrunner to play the swing role given his experience.
Cornelius' move to guard may end up saving his spot on the 53-man roster.
Shelton may not get a lot of work as a rookie, coming into the league with "raw" written all over his scouting reports. But as a fourth-round pick, he's going to get a little extra consideration, especially in Year 1, than a sixth-round sophomore.
Granted, if Cornelius was killing it as a tackle prospect, things could be different. Dallas wouldn't hesitate to put him in the swing tackle competition if they saw potential there, but this pivot says a lot about how he's currently perceived. Much like Marist Liufau's move to OLB, it feels like a last-ditch effort to get something out of a draft pick before admitting failure.
The Cowboys have more opportunities available at guard and center
Assuming that we already have four tackles in Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, Thomas, and Shelton, the interior line does seem to offer a little more opportunity. Four jobs are locked in: Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker as starters, and then T.J. Bass as the primary backup. It remains to be seen if Bass or newcomer Chris Glaser will be the backup center, but Glaser claiming that job would fill another roster spot.
From there, Cornelius's biggest competition is probably third-year prospect Trevor Keegan, who was on last year's roster for over a month before getting injured. We're still waiting to see who emerges from the other camp bodies to truly be on the bubble, but Cornelius and Keegan are your best bets to claim the 10th and probably last roster spot along the offensive line, assuming Dallas doesn't cut it down to nine.
What gets down-roster guys employed varies between positions. For some, special teams work is key. Versatility is often part of the valuation as well, and that can be especially important for offensive linemen.
Even if Ajani Cornelius is making a full move to guard, he'll at least retain over five years of experience at tackle, which could be useful in an emergency. But to remain in the Cowboys' glass case, it appears he now needs to show something at guard in training camp.
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